High Court refuses interim relief to disqualified AAP MLAs

"The Election Commissionrecommending the disqualification of its 20 MLAs from the Delhi Assembly is one-sided and they have announced their recommendation without listening to our MLAs", Singh said in a press conference.

Congress and BJP parties were quick to jump on the situation, and demanded that Arvind Kejriwal should resign, on moral grounds, of all things. The 20 AAP MLAs were not even given a hearing by the Hon EC. Blatant violation of principles of natural justice.

In response to the Election Commission's notices in March 2016, the AAP had passed a Bill amending the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997 to exempt the post of parliamentary secretary from the definition of the "office of profit".

A day after Election Commission asked Aam Aadmi Party to disqualify its 20 MLAs in office for profit case, the party attacked Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti and claimed it as a "gift for PM Narendra Modi" from EC. While some felt he should have disposed off the case long ago, others felt he should have at least given the AAP notice before handing out his order. They have subverted the constitutional norms of the government in the capital and misused the official machinery appointing parliamentary secretaries and total disregardance of the laid down norms, rules and regulation concerning the government. The mandate it got in Delhi Assembly elections is a testimony to the fact that people actually saw AAP as a political alternatively to BJP and Congress.

He also called the recommendation made by the EC as "unconstitutional and undemocratic". Our good governance has shut down the political shops of BJP and the Congress.

"History is a witness that at the end truth always triumphs", the Delhi Chief Minister said in a tweet in his first reaction on the matter.

BJP will gain significant margin in the seats if the Delhi Bypolls are conducted given the significant importance of this election in the 2019 General Election. In case the 11 MLAs are disqualified, the strength of the House would be reduced to 79 and the half way mark would be 40. "We appeal to the President to hear our view too, MLAs will meet President also", Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Saturday. "By delaying the disqualification by three weeks, the EC helped AAP. 20 of his party's MLAs were enjoying ministerial perks will now be disqualified", he said.